tecolutla — tecolutla river and river mouth
Beach village at the mouth of the Tecolutla River, in northern Veracruz. Snook in the river, in mangrove esteros and at the bar, with a fishing tournament in May.
Tecolutla is a fishing and beach village at the mouth of the Tecolutla River, in the Totonacapan region of northern Veracruz. The river reaches the Gulf between mangroves and esteros, and the Ciénegas del Fuerte, near Costa Esmeralda, add at least 2,000 hectares of mangrove that can only be crossed by boat. The target is white snook, along with fat snook and black snook (Centropomus poeyi), which run up the rivers. Tarpon and jack appear at the bar and along the coast. Fishing is from a launch or panga, with artificial lures and live bait, along the banks, around submerged timber and at the bar; you can also fish from the riverbank. The state government mentions a snook fishing tournament in May, with a moving date, on the Tecolutla River.
best season
Outside the federal snook closed season, May 15 to June 30. From fall to spring it is the most sought-after season for snook in the river and at the bar.
Local rules: Tecolutla is in the federal closed-season zone for white and black snook: May 15 to June 30, from the Soto la Marina bar to the Chachalacas bar (DOF notice of March 16, 1994; Carta Nacional Pesquera 2022). The notice closes commercial fishing, and NOM-017 requires sport fishing to respect the closures. Check the date of the May tournament. Fishing from a launch requires a Conapesca permit; from the bank, it does not. Under NOM-017, tarpon has a bag limit of 2 per day: release them. Confirm local rules.
- getting there
- By road along the northern Veracruz coast, through Gutiérrez Zamora, the neighboring municipality to the west. The nearest airport is in Poza Rica.
- facilities
- Beach hotels and cabanas, fish restaurants, and launches that leave from the river for mangrove tours and fishing in the river and the Gulf.
- country
- Veracruz, Mexico
tip
At the bar, fish the falling tide, when the river pushes bait out to sea, and respect the surf: only head out by launch in calm seas and wear a life vest.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
what you can catch here
before you fish in Mexico
Anyone fishing from a boat needs an individual recreational-sport fishing permit (permiso de pesca deportivo-recreativa), issued by Conapesca and obtained online through the e5cinco system, with fees paid per day, week, month, year or excursion. 2025 values reported by Conapesca: 1 day, MXN 204; 1 week, MXN 510; 1 month, MXN 766; 1 year, MXN 1,021; excursion, MXN 1,453 (adjusted every year). Fishing from land does not require a permit; spearfishing requires an individual permit (NOM-017-PESC-1994, amended in 2013).
- Marlin, sailfish, swordfish, sábalo/chiro, roosterfish and mahi-mahi (dorado de mar) are reserved for sport fishing within 50 nautical miles of the coastal baseline.
- Sea catch limit: up to 10 fish per angler per day, with a maximum of 5 of the same species. Billfish (marlins, sailfish and swordfish), sharks and giant sea bass (Stereolepis gigas): 1 per day. Sábalo, mahi-mahi, roosterfish and baya: 2 per day. In freshwater, 5 per day. Fish caught beyond the limit are released alive back to the sea.
- Fishing within 250 m of beaches with bathers and of commercial fishing boats or nets is prohibited. Sport-caught fish may not be sold, and billfish may not be filleted on board.
- In natural protected areas, sport fishing is only allowed under the terms of the decree and each area's management program (Conanp); many have closed zones and stretches for catch and release only.
The rules and closed seasons in the rest of the app are Brazilian. Outside Brazil, the regulations of the country and province apply: confirm with the official agency.
sources and references
Access, facilities and season information changes: check with the lodge, a local guide or the city hall before you travel.
- official Gobierno del Estado de Veracruz, Secretaría de Turismo — TecolutlaMentions the Pesca Deportiva del Robalo in mid-May, with a moving date, on the banks of the Tecolutla River
- official Gobierno del Estado de Veracruz, Secretaría de Turismo — Las Ciénegas del FuerteMangroves of at least 2,000 hectares in Tecolutla municipality; reachable only by launch
- official DOF — Aviso de épocas y zonas de veda para la pesca de diferentes especies de la fauna acuática (16/03/1994)Item XX: closed season for white and black snook, May 15 to June 30, from the Soto la Marina bar to the Chachalacas bar; point four bans commercial fishing during the closure
- official DOF — Actualización de la Carta Nacional Pesquera (26/07/2022), ficha Robalo del Golfo de MéxicoWhite snook, black snook and fat snook in the Gulf; tarpon and jack among the associated species; closed season in force